An Alternative View
by Marcher
Summary: Oooh, I did another chapter!! Imagine things are just a little different. These chapters are the separate viewpoints from Ardeth Rick Evelyn & Jonathan regarding the same series of events.
1. Ardeth

None of the characters which appear in the following chapters belong to me. They are the property of Stephen Sommers and Universal Studios. I make no money, I mean no harm.  
  
An AlternativeView.  
  
by Marcher  
  
Rated PG13  
  
gama39@austarmetro.com.au  
  
Summary. This collection of short stories pertain to the same series of events in The Mummy Returns. They are written from the persepective of the particular character, their view on the events surrounding them and the thoughts and desires which these provoke.  
  
Part one: Ardeth.  
  
  
  
In all his life he could remember only rare occassions when he had felt rain touch him. Hard driven torrents befitting the strength of his people in his unsparing land. Now, as he stood in the chilled night air he pulled his robes closer about himself in a useless effort to combat the incessant London drizzle. He couldn't help but make the comparison between the two lands. From what he new of the English and the little he had seen of their country, he believed the weather spoke volumes. The irritating nature of the rain was akin to the persistence of the British.  
  
  
  
He stealthily broke away from Lock Nah and his corrupt soldiers to peer through the glass doors into the brightly lit library. "Ornate nonsense" he thought to himself "Such a fickle defence against the power which was about to intrude". He saw the boy first. He knew she had borne a child but had never seen him before this night. He wondered anxiously if the boy would survive the coming onslaught, how she would react if he didn't.  
  
  
  
Raising his vision he caught sight of her for the first time in so many years. The image of her in her husband's arms twisted his heart, he was taken aback by his reaction. Of course this would be the case, she was his woman. Even from this distance he recognized the delight in her face. He mused on his own misfortune. His cold wife. His passionless marital bed. His seemingly endless and thankless duty, which was now in danger of ruin due to his lack of concentration. Lock Nah had burst his army into the house and Evelyn was struggling to resist them single handed. He rushed inside, thrown by how quickly O'Connell had vanished, or had he been so long lost in his own commiserations. She greeted him with exulted surprise, however he wasn't fool enough to believe it was anything other than relief to have someone beside her other than the child.  
  
  
  
The struggle was finished as quickly as it had begun. He panicked! The boy was running from the house, calling for his father. He couldn't see her anywhere, couldn't hear her. They must have taken her, otherwise she'd be lying dead on the floor. He chased after the boy.  
  
  
  
****  
  
  
  
Again he watched ruefully as she pressed herself into her husband's arms. He had escaped with his life, thanks to her somewhat uncertain ability with a shotgun. He struggled to ascertain if he was jealous of O'Connell, or if he merely yearned for the same comfort. Whatever the case, he was unable to witness their affection any longer. He cast his eyes to the floor of the levelled bus and carefully tugged at the bloodstained robes which were clinging to his wounds. He vaguely noticed the absent-minded boy move towards the exit. Neither the O'Connell's nor himself were prepared for the abduction. It was with disbelief that he watched O'Connell chasing faceless men as they speeded his son away. It seemed impossible. They themselves, were barely able to outrun Imhotep's guards, so how did these men manage to keep pace?!  
  
  
  
He didn't run beside O'Connell in his desperate and futile bid to reach his son. Instead he stayed beside her, hoping to offer some sort of peace, but she clung to the other one, her wasteful and dishonest brother. He and O'Connell shared a mutual respect for one another, but for the brother he could only feel apathy. He placed a hand to her shoulder and she barely noticed. Her eyes focused further down the road, her face strained with horror and disbelief as she watched her husband return without her son.  
  
  
  
****  
  
  
  
The black cab. Another luxury new to him. Despite the nature of the situation, he still took stock of all around him. He understood he may never return this way. These were stories for generations to come. The return journey was made in silence and as they approached the house, he wondered at the necessity of such a display of opulence.  
  
  
  
His wounds were not overly severe but they were discomforting. He was offered aid and graciously accepted, following O'Connell through the house to a bathroom equiped with the medicines he needed. They spoke pointedly of their plan of action, both grasping the urgency required on either part, but it was obvious that the lengthy delay before their departure weighed heavily on O'Connell's shoulders. This man was his friend and, again it seemed, his brother in arms, but he was envious of this man's life. Watching him as he left the room to tend to his wife, even with the streak of sorrow in his voice, Ardeth would still readily trade places, if only to gain the desire to chase those who are dear to heart.  
  
  
  
Evelyn could be heard sobbing from her bedroom. Ardeth closed the door behind O'Connell to tend to his wounds and stifle her cries.  
  
  
  
****  
  
  
  
He walked towards the stairs noticing the bedroom door ajar. Enough time had passed for them to assume him downstairs with the brother, even just to have forgotten his presence at all.  
  
  
  
Still she wept, frustrated by bureaucratic delays. O'Connell's voice did not carry clearly into the hall but his tone suggested his attempt to calm her. He watched them through the space in the door, himself unseen in the darkness.  
  
It was not his intent to pry, just that his thoughts froze him to the spot. His own marriage, vastly different in all respects. His destiny removed from his control before he learned to walk. His wife chosen by his grandfather, now long dead. His sworn duty pre-ordained from birth. The turmoil within himself never felt so inundating.  
  
  
  
He watched them from his seclusion as they slipped into a primal desire induced by grief and an overwhelming hunger for stability. He watched as he lifted her to him and she favoured him with the grace his own wife sorely lacked. His long held, but silent desire for the wife of a friend re-kindled.  
  
  
  
Shamefully he turned and continued towards the stairs with her sound falling behind him. It was all too much a stark reminder of his stale marriage, now into it's fifth year, still without sign of the apparent heir. He now discovered himself re-evaluating his countrymen's view of the westerner's weak lifestyle in comparison to his own desolate existence.  
  
On the floor below them, he wandered from room to room looking for the brother. So much area for too few people. The flippant was nowhere to be found. He sat alone, in quiet contemplation and waited for the final hours to pass.  
  
  
  
END 


	2. Rick

An Alternative View  
  
by Marcher  
  
Rated: PG13  
  
  
  
gama39@austarmetro.com.au  
  
Part two: Rick  
  
  
  
He walked behind Evelyn, quietly shaking his head as they entered the house. She had been endlessly speaking of that damned bracelet. It seemed she hadn't taken a breath. All their life together she exuded the same enthusiasm and curiosity, but he now tired of the excitement and yearned for the tranquility of home. A fundamental right which had been sorely lacking throughout his life. His body and his mind were weary. He wanted to shout at her for silence!  
  
The expedition just gone and the havoc left behind, had almost claimed their lives. Still her chatter was relentless. He wondered if his will to listen to her could remain stronger than his want to shout her down. To his own opinion he would counteract each and every argument she raised. He would not go back to Egypt!. Not for treasure, not for glory, not for her!  
  
***  
  
Did she read his mind so clearly, or was she playing for time? He was unsure, but it appeared she was offering a surrender. Whatever her reason, he was content with the change of mood and her sweetness never failed to intoxicate him. She was his only weakness.  
  
Stockings on the bookcase! Her brother was an interesting companion when Evelyn was away, but the erratic nature he displayed with such extempore was a thorn in Rick's side. Sluts under the same roof as his son would not be tolerated! Amusing as the man may be at times, he was not prepared to allow the ramifications of Jonathan's lifestyle to affect Alex. It was becomming apparent that this was already the case and it occured to him how the lad would benefit from a stronger dicipline which could be easily managed with a decline in travelling. He considered his son to be on the wild side and feared he would tred a similiar path to himself. As he searched for Jonathan, he smiled at the irony of his thoughts. The fear that his son would mimic his lifestyle, when he himself, would not change a day he had lived.  
  
***  
  
Gunfire filled the room! There was precious little space to hide! All the disgruntled emotions he had directed toward his family now turned to fear for their well being. His separation from his wife and son only gave greater urgency to his predicament. Were they safe? Were they injured? Every reason he had offered his wife to extol the virtues of home life was now threatened. His home was in chaos! Nothing made sense! This intrusion was too brutal and too expedient to cast any reflection on Jonathan's lifestyle. It seemed convenient to lay the blame on his brother-in-law, but the fact that Jonathan's associates were too stupid and disorganized to pull this off, forced him look further afield.  
  
***  
  
Evelyn's cry for help was still ringing in his ears as he grabbed his son to his chest. Instinctively he checked him for injury. He was relieved at his safety, but not surprised, Alex had the same blind luck as his mother. However, it appeared this time, Evelyn was not to be as fortunate.  
  
Suddenly pieces of the horror began to fit together when Ardeth Bay greeted him. He clutched at the man with rage, shouting for explainations, but O'Connell knew that any reprehension would fall firmly at his own feet. All he held dear was being threatened for no other reason than the continual indulgence he afforded his wife.  
  
***  
  
If he could just grab her and run they would all be safe! He saw no reason to fight other than for his wife's survival. Ardeth could deal with Imhotep! It was his sworn duty. Had they never met, the Med-jai would be forced to confront the creature alone. Any excuse suited! He was loathed to fight that battle again and he was so very tired of death.  
  
***  
  
Alive and safe! Everyone! They were miles from the Museum, rid of the red warriors and rotting beasts. She smiled and leaned into him, whispering her love and gratitude. Relief filled him. His son's groaning reaction to their affection amused him.  
  
Alex's smouthered scream cut through his peace of mind like a razor! The abduction was swift, but his mind played the scene slowly. He chased them hastily but his feet felt like lead! Sounds became distant while his heartbeat deafened him!  
  
He ran after them, hopelessly outdistanced by the car. He cursed his wife's inquistive nature and his son's ignorance of danger. He cursed Ardeth and his tribes for being unable to contain the rogue army in Egypt. He cursed himself for letting his guard down.  
  
Too long a time passed before the bridge reconnected. Precious time they didn't have. The look on Evelyn's face mirrored his own, as well, the subtle expression of anxiety that Ardeth directed toward his wife did not pass Rick without note. He wanted to shout his anger at all of them. His only son's life was endangered by their own pre-occupations. He realized now that any decision had been removed from his control. He was to return to Egypt. Again he was to face seemingly insurmountable foes. This time in the name of his son.  
  
***  
  
He had questions for Ardeth other than their plan of attack, but Evelyn's distress and compounding guilt kept his interest at bay. He would leave it for now, her need was more compelling. Also, he knew if they were to succeed he must have this man as his ally, any accusations would lead to bitterness, possibly to Alex's death. As he turned to go to his wife, he left Ardeth in the bathroom with good will, first aid and a look in his eye which Ardeth understood perfectly.  
  
***  
  
Evelyn wrapped herself in his embrace, her grief painful to his soul. The delay before their departure was unbearable, but he found solace with her. However desperate the situation, they still united in a strength of will. He silently reprimanded himself for charging her with this crime. He whispered to her their need for courage. He was falling helplessly into his desire for her, his need for reassurance, for familiarity. She encouraged him with a likened response.  
  
***  
  
He was not the same man he was ten years ago. He was world weary and cynical. The stakes he risked now were higher and he began this journey with a heavy heart. As they left the house for the airport he decided two things. Should they survive this ordeal, they would leave empty handed, never to return to the barren wastelands of Egypt. The other was to ignore what he had seen in Ardeth's eyes.  
  
END 


	3. Evelyn

An Alternative View  
  
by Marcher  
  
Rated PG13  
  
gama39@austarmetro.com.au  
  
Part three: Evelyn  
  
  
  
Evelyn fired three shots from the rifle, sending the foul smelling, rotted corpse through the rear window of the bus. For numerous reasons, Rick had insisted upon teaching her how to handle firearms, along with his own method of self defense. Both had proven invaluable today. Her family was safe and Ardeth Bay eyed her gratefully from his awkward position on the floor. She looked at him, silently. What was he doing here?  
  
She could feel his stare as she leaned into her husband's embrace. Happy to be reunited with him but uncomfortable with Ardeth's presence. Wasn't he married now? A message had filtered through some years back about him having taken a wife. Why then, was his gaze so intent?  
  
Alex was gone! Within a single breath all questions regarding the warrior were forgotten. Her son was being driven away into the night. She followed Rick onto the bridge but her pace faltered and she watched in stunned disbelief as he chased after the car. Ardeth stood behind her. She ignored his hand resting on her shoulder in consolation. He didn't know her son! How could he possibly know what she was losing? Instead she clung to Jonathan.  
  
She watched dismayed as Rick returned to her along Tower Bridge without her son. Complete incomprehension clouded her mind. Only hours before it was Alex who watched as she was struck down and carried from their home, now it was she who struggled with the same fear and loss. She imagined Alex, alone and frightened, at the mercy of hoodlums. She put her hand to her still tender jaw and leaned into her husband's chest. She closed her eyes to the horror her world was becoming.  
  
Ardeth's voice was tinged with solace and she raised her head to look at him. She strove to grasp all he was saying about Alex and the bracelet, and wondered from where this man had materialized. The uncanny manner in which he always appeared in the most unexpected arenas, made her wonder if he travelled in smoke. She could not recall a solitary time when his emergence had not surprised or startled her.  
  
****  
  
Time was wasting. The cab journey tormented her. Every mile was in the wrong direction! Alex was being taken to Egypt, she was being taken home! Rick's reasoning was nothing but common sense and she understood they needed to organize themselves, to cull resources and arrange travel. Still, her heart screamed for expedience.  
  
Sitting across from Ardeth and Jonathan she took deep breaths, attempting to counteract her fidgety hands. Time and again she pressed her back into the seat only to lean forward and fiddle with the hem of her skirt. It wasn't until Rick drew her to rest against him that she began to settle. Nevertheless, her rigid fingers dug painfully into his waist.  
  
Trying to read Ardeth's eyes was futile, he only stared out the rain splattered window. Almost a decade had passed since she last saw him. That day in Cairo seemed a lifetime away. She was ill prepared for this sudden mix of emotion for she had believed her confusion and guilt to be long buried. She couldn't help but wonder if his assistance was driven by personal motivation. What did he suspect, or hope for?  
  
Here he was, steadfast in his allegiance for her son's rescue. She was already indebted to him. Without his earlier intervention she knew her fate would have been sealed, but why was it he who had made the arduous journey to England instead of another? Leaving his men under secondary command at such a crucial time made little sense to her.  
  
The silence in the cab was deafening! The enormity of their task hung heavily over the four of them.  
  
He caught her gaze. With a knowing glance he relayed answers to all her questions. Alarmed, she lowered her eyes, once again to study the stitching on her skirt. Rick murmured something to her which she barely acknowledged. Glancing back at Ardeth she gave an almost indiscernible shake of her head and mouthed the word "No!"  
  
****  
  
She knew she wasn't dealing well with the anxiety and the lurking Med-jai was only compounding the issue. Rick had left her with a peculiar look as he directed Ardeth to a bathroom to equip him with first aid. She had never mentioned her encounter with the warrior, she never saw reason to. In truth, she hadn't thought of it since her son's birth. Her frustration was beginning to take it's toll. With her arms wrapped tightly about herself she continually paced the room, shaking her head as she rambled while attempting to make sense out of lunacy. Uselessly she searched for someone with whom she could lay the blame. Recognizing the obvious was too painful. She paused, bracing herself against the window sill, the ache in her heart too deep and culpable. She hung her head and wept.  
  
Rick returned to her and she cleaved to him, accepting whatever reassurance he offered. At this juncture in her life she was not ashamed to reveal the frailty in her otherwise mettlesome character. Without hesitation, she responded in kind to his own need for security and allowed his will to take her in a primal desire to stave off fear and grief, if only for an instant. She needed this as well. Pressing her chin over his shoulder, she glimpsed black robes vanishing past the narrow gap in the doorway. Had he stood and watched? Had he just glanced in passing? Had he seen at all?  
  
****  
  
Rick was seeing to last minute details. Ardeth stood waiting beside her. There was no time to waste on this, but it needed to be acknowledged. She could no longer take his inquisitorial stare. She turned abruptly, but he spoke first. His brief words regarding his wife left her shocked, his concern for her was embarrassing, but his inference to Alex and his birth confirmed her suspicions. For a moment she stood aghast. Alex was lost and Ardeth's presence presented an underlying threat to her. She wanted to scream at him the unfairness of his timing, but Rick would soon be back and this needed to be said quickly.  
  
Drawing one deep breath she hurriedly explained in a deliberate whisper that Alex was not his son. "Good God, you only have to look at him to realize that!" She continued, waving her hands stiffly, explaining his premature birth as a result of slipping on worn steps. "He was so tiny! We were fortunate he managed to survive at all!" She was angry enough to slap him for bringing this up at such a time, but Rick's footsteps became audible and she stopped herself, inhaling deeply to regain her composure.  
  
Agreeing she was more than ready to leave, she followed Rick through the front door, glancing back at Ardeth with a severe look. The regret etched on his face filled her heart with pity. It all suddenly dawned on her. His lonliness, the despair of his marriage and the ache for children never born. How he had leapt at the opportunity to travel to England in the vainest of hopes regarding her son. It was understood they meant little to each other emotionally, but it was obvious to Evelyn, considering the miserable circumstance of his life, that he had harbored hopes of Alex. She touched his arm as she passed him, almost apologetic, "Will you still travel with us? Help us to find him?" Ardeth nodded, placed a hand to her shoulder and walked with her to the waiting cab.  
  
END 


	4. Jonathan

An Alternative View  
  
by Marcher  
  
Rated PG13  
  
gama39@austarmetro.com.au  
  
  
  
Part four: Jonathan.  
  
"What to do! What to do!"  
  
Jonathan's mind was a maze of panic and indecision. His body was beginning to ache from the uncontrollable shivering induced by the bone penetrating cold. This, combined with Evelyn's grievous and desperate siezure of his arm, was affecting his train of thought.  
  
Being in the driver's seat meant he had not seen Alex snatched away. When his sister and her cohorts charged to the rear of the bus he had simply assumed they were still fending off mummies. By the time he reached Evelyn's side she was blathering emotionally and making little sense, even less when it appeared to all that her husband had leapt into the Thames! It was left for Ardeth to explain.  
  
How that man unnerved him! Especially now! For reasons he was unable to fathom, he knew Ardeth wished him gone, but Jonathan was resolved to stand firm. He was becoming indifferent to the tedious attitude of others, along with their condescencions towards him. Ardeth offered a gesture of solace by placing his hand upon Evie's shoulder, but her disinterest in this afforded Jonathan the boldness of stepping between the two and he pulled his distraught sister into his arms. She had made her preference clear, giving Jonathan a smug sense of superiority over their unexpected guest.  
  
*** The very idea of returning to Egypt made him chuckle. He had managed to avoid this particular event for the past ten years or so, swearing nothing this side of doomsday would ever coax him back . Now he had been thrown into the fray, and to the rescue of his beloved nephew, simply from being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He shook his head at the irony. This had been the story of his life!  
  
A refusal to assist did not cross Jonathan's mind. As much as he loathed to embark on that journey once more, he was impelled to act by the terrible fate looming over the boy. However, a simple request to join the party was preferable to O'Connell's bellicose takeover. Over the course of time, he had developed a rancor to this side of his brother-in-law's character and was now discovering an urge to express himself. But at this moment, only two things stood between Jonathan and a right fist from the American. One was the urgency of the child's situation. The other was Jonathan's overwhelming desire for dry clothes.  
  
*** Evelyn's uneasy mood during the cab journey was remarkably taxing on everyone. Jonathan understood her anxiety and disbelief, but the tension emanating from his sister seemed surprisingly out of character, even under such dreadful circumstances. She was perspiring and appeared distracted. When he leaned forward and touched her knee in an attempt to sympathize with her, she almost bit his hand off at the wrist! It was then that the equally concerned O'Connell reached an arm around his wife's shoulder and drew her into him, but even he was unable to comfort her for any length of time.  
  
Jonathan may be a disgruntled participant in life, but he rarely missed a trick. He was intrigued by Evelyn's sly glances at that sullen messenger of doom and he noticed how the man returned the favour. It seemed Rick was the only one with his mind on the matter at hand. He sat silently, almost unrecognizable. His eyes squeezed shut beneath his furrowed brow and his face had lost all colour. Ardeth remained as stoic as ever and Evelyn looked as though she would be sick.  
  
"I say, Evie, you look as though you....urgh!" her foot connected viciously with his shin.  
  
"I'm sorry Jonathan, there's not much room in here"  
  
"There's plenty of bloody room, you kicked me on purpose!" He imagined the size of the bruise appearing on his battered leg as he attempted to rub away the pain.  
  
Evelyn became so distressed, tears began to well in her eyes and she shook uncontrollably. Rick pressed her head to his shoulder and gave Jonathan a silent bidding to leave well enough alone. Complaining of his pain to Ardeth was pointless, but Jonathan saw something flash in the eyes of the arcane warrior before his gaze returned to the rain soaked streets of London. Something vulnerable. Something that would put them on equal and common ground. His mind retreated to his sister a decade ago, in Cairo. He remembered her rambling incohenrently about not being able to measure up as she paced her bedroom floor. He had commonly assumed she was suffering from pre-wedding jitters. Only now the penny dropped! Jonathan's eyes narrowed as he leaned back into his seat, folding his arms. He said no more until they reached the house.  
  
*** Once inside, Evelyn sought solitary refuge in her bedroom while Rick and Ardeth made haste with a strategy. Their indifference towards Jonathan was typical of what he had come to expect. It was obvious to anyone that he was only meant to follow.  
  
Taking furtive backward steps towards the door, Jonathan hoped to sieze this opportunity to change into something warmer, but he was stopped by Rick's indictable demand for an explanation on where he was going. It was a false assumption of cowardice, and it irked Jonathan to the core. Anger rose within him as he straightened his stance and took determined steps towards both men. Jonathan's words spilled freely in a galling temper.  
  
"Look here! Alex is gone because all of you were off your guard! The only reason I'm in this at all is because I came home to find you and my over zealous sister back a month early...with yet another sacred relic which she most likely pilfered from some rotting corpse! With a minimum of interference from you I'd imagine." Jonathan was looking directly into the eyes of his enraged brother-in-law and realized his predicament, but he was fuelled with an adrenalin gorged courage which forbade him to stop. "Furthermore, we find she's set off another wave of revenge from our ancient friends, but she gets to hide upstairs in her bedroom!" Even O'Connell's vehement approach didn't sway him as he continued incredulously "This is all her fault...again! For God's sake Rick, you only have to say 'NO!' occassionally...it should get easier after the first few times." The seething American stepped up and delivered a punch that knocked the smaller man off his feet.  
  
Surprising even himself Jonathan climbed to his feet and wiped the corner of his mouth, checking the smeared blood on the back of his hand "Don't waste your energy on me, old son" He offered sarcastically. "I'm sure there'll be plenty of opportunity for you to get stuck in before this game's over!"  
  
Steadying himself, he turned and directed his diatribe toward Ardeth. "As for you! Where in God's name did you spring from? Is the desert getting too difficult for you these days?" Still glaring at Ardeth, he pointed furiously at O'Connell "You're as bad as him! What he lacks in moderation you make up for in stealth!" Rubbing his jaw, he continued his accusations, feeling somewhat blessed he'd made it this far relatively unscathed, but all the while he fully expected the Med-jai to retaliate. "You must have known long ago that all this was on the cards... and you knew it was going to be BIG! Why else would you be here instead of one of your lackeys?" Stretching his arms wide, Jonathan spoke with a mock display of wonderment. "But perhaps some kind of warning next time, you know the thing. A letter....smoke signals....a bloody carrier pidgeon!" He shouted "Anything! Anything would have been preferable to this god awful mess! You and your lot are meant to be able to stop all this before it starts, but twice now it's run over your toes!  
  
Jonathan leaned against the back of a chair placing a hand to his jaw and groaned quietly "Arsenals and tattoos!"  
  
From the corner of his eye he saw O'Connell put a hand to Ardeth's shoulder, deferring the man's retort. Jonathan raised his line of vision and sighed upon seeing the mix of raw anger and sorrow on the faces of both men. He felt a rush of emotions surge through his body, but regret wasn't one of them when he spoke. "I may not be your kindred spirit or your average gun toting maniac, but let me make this perfectly clear." He stood and faced both men. "I am not a coward! Just mildly reluctant to jump in front of bullets, is all. But aside from that, I'm sick and tired of being accused of running out. Look at me for God's sake! I'm soaked to the bone! I've been standing on that bloody bridge for an hour on a freezing winter's night." He walked towards the door, "I won't be given the opportunity to even consider being left by the wayside". He murmured, then turned to face them one last time. "So, gentlemen, if time permits, I intend to check on my sister, change my clothes and pour myself a stiff drink prior to leaving. If anyone cares to join me, you'll know where I'll be."  
  
*** Jonathan wearily climbed the stairs following the sound of Evelyn's crying. Stopping at her doorway he looked in to find her standing with her back to him, but watching his reflection in the mirror. Brother and sister stood looking at the image of each other, both knowing the other. She didn't speak and he couldn't find the words needed to bridge the gap. Jonathan bit his bottom lip and dropped his gaze. He turned away from her and walked to his own room.  
  
END 


	5. Evelyn's Secret

None of the characters which appear in the following chapters belong to me. They are the property of Stephen Sommers and Universal Studios. I make no money, I mean no harm.  
  
  
  
An AlternativeView  
  
by Marcher  
  
Rated PG13  
  
gama39@austarmetro.com.au  
  
  
  
Summary: This chapter deals with Evelyn's thoughts and her compounding guilt over Ardeth, as well as Alex's kidnapping. The scene takes place in the air, somewhere between London and Cairo.  
  
What seems like eons ago, Ellbee kindly gave permission for me to elaborate on her story 'What Do You Want Of Me'. Read (both) and discover. If you're fond of this series, thank Ruse for this chapter. She dropped a lot of hints for a continuation ;) and here it is. I'm surprised how easy it was. It's like it wrote itself.  
  
  
  
Part 5: Evelyn's Secret  
  
  
  
Ardeth Bay sat four rows ahead of her. From her seat, she stared at his unmoving form, his body too large for the confined area. She considered him thoughtfully, after so many years. His leg stretched into the aisle for comfort. One elbow overlapping the arm rest. His black, shining tresses.  
  
Evelyn, her husband, her brother and the Med-jai were separated on the flight. Seating arrangements were of little consequence, though. In such an emergency they were all grateful for whatever travel arrangements they were able to procure. Finding her son alive was all that mattered.  
  
Jonathan sat several rows behind to her left; and Rick, at the front of the plane. In all truth, she welcomed this small mercy. They had argued fiercely during the journey to the Airport and were yet to resolve their differences. It was nothing more, or less, than their distress and the concern they held for their son. Fear. Worry. Uncertainty. Love. It was all of this. And it was not.  
  
That look in her husband's eyes? She recognized it. No doubt!  
  
Fighting back tears, she let her head drop into her hand, her mind a jumble of angst, confusion and regret. Rick had all but manhandled her into the black cab, muttering something about the Bracelet of Anubis. Was it her guilt over the reckless handling of this discovery which caused her to engage him in a war of words? Or was it guilt of another kind? After a time, she could no longer bear his gaze and refused to speak any further on the matter. It was as if he was seeing right through her!  
  
But how would he know the truth? Jonathan? Remembering her brother's silent, knowing stare chilled her soul. No, not Jonathan. He had neither the time nor oportunity; and he would never betray the nexus which bound them.  
  
Would Ardeth? While alone with Rick when treating his wounds? Would the stoic warrior reveal such a secret in desperation for a child he believed could be his own?  
  
None of this mattered now. Her husband was silently aware of her encounter ten years ago. Nothing would be the same. Still, the wound in her heart from his acusation of her carelessness towards Alex remained raw, and she resented his words. Even if his anger was drawn from double heartache, she was not the only one on that bus to let their guard down!  
  
~o~  
  
Once again her eyes settled on the Med-jai ahead of her. She hated him simply for his presence in this whole, horrid day. As well for the asumption he had made of her son. Rick's son!  
  
Her mind wandered while watching the motionless warrior. She traced the line of him with her eyes, from his head, down the length of his body until her gaze rested upon the shape of his leg stretched out into the aisle. His booted foot resting on it's heel. She remembered their furvent kiss on the Library steps before her wedding. Her inability to resist his advance through her lack of want to push him away. Drawn in by the mystique of him, the desire to know him and the surprising allure she found in his physical strength and his sheer desire of her body.  
  
And the promise that it would remain forever secret.  
  
She stood abruptly and moved to the back of the plane, urgently excusing herself to the few passengers returning to their seats, desperate for the solitary space of the restroom.  
  
Once inside, she wept.  
  
Guilt from all sides settled heavily upon her shoulders and could barely withstand the strain.  
  
Sobs emanated from the pit of her stomach. Despairing, grief laden tears streamed through her fingers down the length of her arms, abating only after her body had sunk to the floor. Exhausted.  
  
~o~  
  
At last emerging into the cabin, she gaped on finding herself face to face with Ardeth. His dark eyes fixed onto her own. He stood cognizant and unmoving, with no passage around him. Ever so slightly, he tilted his head towards hers and she responded. Passionately, deeply and swift! Tasting his mouth on hers. The heat and desire of his kiss. Then just as quickly she pulled away. She awkwardly placed her slim fingers to his lips, nervously glancing into the body of the aircraft. Jonathan, asleep. Rick, out of view.  
  
Without looking again at the Med-jai, Evelyn moved to get by him. This time he obliged, allowing her to pass.  
  
Taking her seat, she stared past her two fellow passengers out into the clouds and ignored the black robes which brushed against her bare arm as they passed.  
  
  
  
  
  
end chapter 


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